


Rogues come in twos

by Straydilettante



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Cassandra needs to interact with more people, Character Study, Comfort, Family Bonding, Gen, Minor spoilers up to episode 63, Rogue Training, Trinket makes an appearance, de Rolo siblings relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 05:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straydilettante/pseuds/Straydilettante
Summary: “I always knew that you were the smarter one.”Cassandra returned that smile and demurred, “I merely chose not to insult yours.”Or Cassandra, Vex'ahlia and the art of being a Rogue.





	Rogues come in twos

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for Rarepair week, non-romantic pairing, sometime last year. It is long overdue but at least it is complete!

Cassandra stood to the side, observing the lithe figure in the clearing, practicing her routine. Vex’ahlia is a good archer, the best that she had ever seen. The arrows always find their mark in the trees, no matter how far she was. It gave her a modicum of comfort, knowing that her brother’s back was covered by another strong ranged fighter. She knew all too well of the vulnerabilities regarding a ranged combatant.

Studying Vex’ahlia’s routine, she was surprised to see hints of familiarity in her moves. She was seeking an advantageous position to strike her foe. Something that was not present in the first few cycles of her routine.

She didn’t know that Vex’ahlia has taken it upon herself to learn the tricks that any good rogue ought to have.

It was an interesting choice as opposed to mastering her archery. She supposed that having a rogue brother made it easier for her to pick it up. After all, it was not like there were any handy guidebook lying around.

She ought to know. She has searched the expansive Whitestone library twice for it.

Her fingers twitched as she saw the way Vex’ahlia stumbled a few times, trying to run to a spot. Leaves were disturbed, as she carved out her own path, often uncaring about the amount of noise that she was making. It was not a bad idea, focusing on getting one aspect right before moving onto the next.

If she ever managed to overcome thinking like a ranger, the noise was something that she had to work on next. Unfortunately, it would not be easy to overcome the current obstacle, as she was running like her only concern was to put as much distance from the enemy as possible.

Cassandra had to restrain herself from voicing out.

Wouldn’t it be strange to receive advice from someone younger?

Yet, as she stood there and witnessed frustration slowly bleeding into Vex’ahlia’s actions, Cassandra took a step forward hesitantly.

Several branches broke underfoot and a warning sounded out from a nearby bush.

She retreated. She should have known that Trinket would not be far away. Vex’ahlia’s head snapped to her direction and despite her visible tiredness, an arrow was strung up instantly. Only for the bowstring to be relaxed immediately as a high-pitched familiar snuff followed.

Cassandra gave a wry smile at that and stepped out from behind the tree, hands not quite raised but remained awkwardly halfway.

Vex’ahlia noticed her and a grin spread across her face. “Cassandra! I did not see you there!”

“You weren’t meant to. Though I supposed it is inevitable that Trinket would give me away. I’m rather surprised that it is not with a growl.” Cassandra acknowledged Trinket’s keen senses as the pair approached her.

Vex’ahlia laughed and squatted to cup Trinket’s face, running her fingers through his fur. She looked up at Cassandra and replied,  “Darling, he wouldn’t growl at family. He is such a big softie.”

She returned her attention to him as he huffed and ducked his head, “Besides, that was his ‘I need more scratches’ noise. You, like your brother, probably has spoiled him with tummy rubs.”

Cassandra flushed red. That sentence hit the nail on the head. She could not help it when Trinket gave her that pleading expression. It was one thing to deal with nobles and another to deal with a bear that seemed to be in such sadness.

Vex shifted and decided to sit on the ground. Dirt has never bothered her. Trinket’s ears perked up and he shifted closer to Vex, giving her a sniff before sprawling over her lap, exposing his belly.

Vex laughed and murmured, “Silly bear.”

She lost herself for a few minutes, checking his fur and making sure that there were no ticks or anything harmful. Satisfied, she raised her head and took a moment to observe Cassandra.

It had been several weeks since they made it back to Whitestone. While Vex does hold a title, she had not been able to spend as much time as she would liked in the town. To her surprise, Trish had approached them yesterday and cited a private matter to pull Vex aside, before confessing her worry about her young charge.

Trinket’s snout bumped her hand and she absentmindedly started scratching it. She was not convinced that she was the best candidate to talk to Cassandra about her worries. While she knew that not all siblings share the same bond that the twins had, the De Rolo siblings have always confused her. They only had each other, yet their relationship always seemed to have this formal vibe about it.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts regarding Percy. She was here for Cassandra, no matter what relation they had. Privately, she admired the young woman for what she had faced and continue to do.

Authority may not be a cloak that Cassandra wears comfortably but she made it look easy. Sometimes a bit too easy, allowing Percy to continue fooling himself.

But that was a matter for another day.

* * *

 

“Cassandra, what were you doing behind that tree? You could have received an arrow for your trouble.” She lifted her chin, gesturing to Fenthras on the ground.

Cassandra eyed the bow warily and nodded in agreement. “My apologies for not announcing my presence earlier. I noticed you practicing and it piqued my interest.”

“No, no, the mistake is mine.” Vex rushed to reply, taking her turn to watch Cassandra as she crossed the opening and headed straight for a fallen log.

Vex furrowed her brows. She shouldn’t be surprised when Cassandra uncovered an oilskin bag. The clearing was too well-maintained and carried the faint marks of camouflage. She bent and kiss Trinket’s snout, before thinking about her next move.

Finding Cassandra’s whereabouts would have taken longer, if not for the tip that she had received. She made a mental note to thank Trish later. Trinket huffed and sat up, sensing that Vex was about to do something.

Waiting till Cassandra started to make her way over, Vex started, “I apologise for intruding, I didn’t reali-”

“Vex’ahlia, please. Don’t try to fool me.”

A genuine smile curled her lips. “I always knew that you were the smarter one.”

Cassandra returned that smile and demurred, “I merely chose not to insult yours.”

Vex gave a sheepish smile and stood up. Extending her arms, a contented sound left her lips upon feeling the strain of well-used muscles. Gauging the light from the sky, she had about two more hours before Percy would start to worry about their whereabouts.

A damp snout bumped Cassandra’s left arm and she was startled for a moment before giving into the urge to ruffle Trinket’s fur. Trinket emitted some happy tongue clicks as he preened under the attention. He sat down with a thump, clearly enjoying the pats. A few minutes passed, before Cassandra realised that Vex’ahlia had not spoken. She looked quizzically at Vex’ahlia, only to note that she was looking down at her shoes. Cassandra raised an eyebrow but before she could get a word out, Vex’ahlia nodded to herself silently, seemingly making up her mind.

She turned and made eye contact with Cassandra, “Can you help me with the basics of a rogue? I would have asked Vax but he barely gets any time with Keyleth.”

Cassandra blinked in surprise, before dropping her gaze and muttering something too quiet for Vex to catch. She bent down to catch those words and was surprised to see tears gathering.

Vex reached out with one hand hovering over her shoulder, observing for any signs of discomfort before resting it on her shoulder. Cassandra continued to wipe tears away and on the second sniffle, Vex could not bear it any longer and immediately gathered Cassandra in her arms.

* * *

The warmth was the first thing that Cassandra noted.

How long has it been since someone was willing to touch her?

Let alone hug her.

Delilah Briarwood was frigid, much like the magic she practiced. As a result, Cassandra had grew accustomed to that temperature after the first few hugs. Any warmth that the hugs brought was always stolen by the chill that followed. Since she realised the timing of these hugs only ever occurred after she did something right in their eyes.

Touch-starved as she was, she doesn’t refuse them.

The brief hug that was shared with Percy was equivalent to the warmth of a dying sun. A full blast of heat that disappeared as quickly as it happened. After, their interactions was always tainted, filled with unsaid words. Matters that never got resolved.

There was no one else that she could have gotten this warmth from.

Yet, even as Cassandra had forgotten this feeling, her arms still knew what to do. She wanted to be greedy for a moment. They instinctively came up to grip Vex’ahlia’s leather tunic. Holding her closer, borrowing her strength for the moment, as she shows her weakness.

It had been a really long morning.

A bad dream, ever since she woke up gasping in the castle, occupied by two very cold people.

She sniffled, attempting to pull away as she became aware of the state that she was in. The hands behind her back only drew her in closer.

“Don’t worry, these clothes have seen blood. Snot is not an issue. Feel free to mess it up. ”

At that sentence, Cassandra gave a wet strangled laughter. She shook her head, throwing away that worry and burrowed deeper. She felt Vex’ahlia’s lips pulling into a smile and a hand shifted higher to stroke her hair.

“I have always thought that the de Rolo’s signature streak of white is pretty. After taking a closer look, I’m glad to say that I am wrong.” Vex’ahlia mumbled, before reaching her hand out to curl a white strand.

“It is beautiful.”

_Despite the history that caused it_ , went unvoiced but not unheard by Cassandra.

She waited for the touch of shame to manifest, like it often do, when someone refer to the past events. But it never arrived and she let out a breath of relief as her body felt lighter.

The stark honesty in Vex’s tone remained in the quiet and Cassandra smiled genuinely for the first time that day. She took a deep breath and centered herself, before tilting her head upwards to look at Vex.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Vex said, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I might be buttering you up, to impart some of that wise knowledge that you have.”

In response, Cassandra’s grin only grew wider as she stepped away and reached into her breeches’ pocket to withdraw a handkerchief. She made a move to wipe her face while Vex looked away to the far distance, figuring that she would appreciate this moment to regain herself. Vex can only fervently hope that the rebuilding walls would be as foreboding as before.  

“Vex, are you there?” Cassandra’s quiet voice rang out.

Vex turned back, her mouth opened and eyes widened, before melting into a warm smile. Something tells her that the worry would not come to pass. Seeing her movements, Cassandra turned with a confidence that does not need to be faked and begun to set up the camouflaged dummies.

Ducking down to hide her glee, Vex picked up Fenthras, before motioning Trinket to follow.

“Behind you!” She shouts, as she ran to catch up with Cassandra.

* * *

Bonus:

It has been several months since Cassandra agreed to work on her rogue skills. In return, after several prompting by Vex, Cassandra finally confessed her curiosity and desire to learn the art of archery. The way she had worded the formal request was met with a lot of teasing from a thrilled Vex.

Like many months ago, Vex found herself in the same spot in the clearing, as she observed a tranquil Cassandra preparing to nock an arrow. She ran an experienced eye over Cassandra. It seems like the hunting leathers that she had bought for Cassandra was a good fit.

The collared shirt was loose enough to allow movement while the vest added some color to the otherwise monochrome palette. A brown comfortable leather pants was chosen to set aside the worries of dirt as she runs around in the forest. While, well-worn leather boots and gloves protect her from the cold that Whitestone is known for. And an outer coat framing her torso finished the ensemble, tipping the scales over to presentable and functional. 

All in all, she did not regret the amount of gold spent. Cassandra’s tears of delight upon unwrapping her gift paid for it in a currency better than any material coins could.

The simple shortbow in her hands suited her far better than any longbow would, although Cassandra was looking forward to conquering that challenge after mastering this one. Percy’s gift was the quiver of arrows by her hip. They were in Whitestone’s color, a testament to Cassandra’s strength and leadership.

His words, not hers.

The day that he surprised her with those arrows, marked the start of a journey. Where Percy grew to understand that he doesn’t know the depth of the responsibilities that he burdened her with. But accepted that flaw and strove to make it better together with her. And that, made all the difference for their relationship. It would never reach the closeness that Vex and Vax shares but for the de Rolo siblings, it was good enough.

Pulling an arrow back, Cassandra sighted along the shaft before taking a deep breath to still herself. Vex watched as she remember to anchor the shot and relax her grip before it threw her off.

She was a breathtaking sight.

And that arrow hitting the mark with a solid sound, made her resulting grin all the more sweeter. Vex couldn’t resist keeping quiet any longer and stepped out from the shadows, clapping as she approached.

“That was a good shot!”

“Of course, I had a good teacher!” Cassandra said, grinning widely as she glanced at Vex over her shoulder.

To her, the warmth of the afternoon sun finally feels like a cloak of comfort, as it no longer fights to keep the chill away.

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to Kuridongo's [ picture](https://kuridongo.tumblr.com/post/168542100385/cassandra-de-rolo) for the boost to continue and finally finish this story. 
> 
> This idea came from a realisation that both of them have a lot in common and a strong desire to have them interact with each other. The curse of Matthew Mercer and his interesting NPCs, sigh.


End file.
